Battle Of Camden

The Battle Of Camden was a really important victory for the British in the Revolutionary War. On August 16, 1780, British forces under the command of General Charles Lord Cornwallis had defeated the American army of  General Horatio Gates about 10 km north of Camden strengthening the British hold on the Carolinas.

The fight was an embarrassing defeat for Gates,because Gates army was far more superior than the British, the patriots outnumbered the British, after this he never led an army again. He was a popular man and his political connections helped him avoid the courts and trials.

 Camden was a key point that had to be captured to control the Carolina s. On July 27, Gates moved into South Carolina, heading towards Camden, then camped with  about 1,000 men under the leadership of Rawdon Gates established a camp at Rugeley's Mill, north of Camden, then troops from north Carolina and Virginia came and joined him ,The weather was extremely hot, and some troops had been infectious diseases like dysentery. Although Gates had over 4,000 men in camp, only about 2000 of them were good enough for combat, in part because Gates further reduced their numbers by sending several hundred men in support of  Sumter and Marion.